Package smoothing apparatus



Jan. 22, 1935.

G. B. FIRST PACKAGE SMOOTHING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1933 mg W U INVENT R. 63 m mw 1 ATTORNEY.

PACKAGE SMOOTHING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @M QW M #QW & ATTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1935. F|R$T 1,988,839

PACKAGE SMOOTHING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 rull 9 o W H l INVENTQR.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1935. G: B, HR T 1,988,839

memes SMOOTHING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F 0 f INVENTOR.

lg. BY M55 7 M Ya ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 22, 1935 1,988,839 PACKAGE SMOOTHING APPARATUS George B. First, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Stokes and Smith Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 17, 1933, Serial No. 666,391

9 Claims.

My invention relates toapparatus for smoothing or eliminating blisters from wrapped packages, containers, boxes or the like. Y

In accordance withmy invention, after the packages have been wrapped and while the adhesive on the wrappers is still unset, the corners are wiped or ironed to ensure contact of the wrapper at these regions; more particularly, the packages leaving the wrapping machine are received by a conveyor which transports them along a path provided with 'presser-blocks suitably shaped to receive and smooth the package corners.

My invention also residesin the features of construction, combination, and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for illustration of a preferred form thereof, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a package wrapping system utilizingmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. 4

Figs. 3 and 4 in perspective, illustrate blister formation at the corners of packages wrapped in accordance with the prior art.

Fig. 5 is-a detail view, on enlarged scale,- of the smoothing attachment of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view with-=parts in section of the attachment shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 in perspective, shows the corner of a package and illustrates the result of operation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine G may be of any suitable known type for wrapping packages, and therefore its construction and method of operation are only briefly described. The machine for example may be of the type described in Patent No. 1,599,154, Weightman et al. Packages P on the receiving conveyor C are moved to the right, the plate 1 engaging the first package of the series, to arrest movement of all of them. The conveyor C1 is provided with plates 2 spaced at suitable intervals, which in turn lift the foremost package of the series to the platform 3. As soon as one package is removed by conveyor C1, the belt conveyor C advances the series of packages until the next package is arrested by the stop 1 for removal by the next plate 2.

The packages are pushed from the plate 3 onto the supporting bars 4, 4. On opposite sides of the bars are the endless conveyors C2, C3 each having extending outwardly therefrom a series of spaced pusher elements 5 each adapted to cooperate with the like opposite elements of the other conveyor to push a package along a path through the machine from left to right. T

The conveyors are timed with respect to the Wrapper applying roll R1 which is provided with I a gripper 6 to receive wrappers W removed from the stack S by the feeding element 7. The upper wrapper separated from the stack is fed by the rolls 8 through the guide 9' over the adhesive applying roll 10 into the open gripper jaws. By 1 mechanism not specifically shown the gripper 6 then closes and carries the wrapper into engagement with the lower face of a package P, whereupon the gripper 6 is opened, so that the wrapper is free to move with the package P. 15

As each package in turn approaches the right end of the conveyor it is pushed downwardly by the plunger 11 which effects engagement between the panel S of the wrapper, and the corresponding side of the package so that at this stage two 99 sides of the package are covered. The intermittently rotated turret 12' carries the packages through several stations where the remaining panels of thewrapperare applied;- the wrapped packages are ultimately delivered toa position 25 between the conveyor belts C4,- C4 which engage the opposite ends of the packages to slide them along the supports 13 for discharge at the righthand ends of the belt. 1

Machines of this type are usually operated a't high speed, for example, the rate of about to packages per minute, and it is characteristic of most packages wrapped by them, that at the edges or corners of the packages there are blisters, or wrapper portions; not adhesively secured to the package body, which not only mar the appearance of the packages, but are also objectionable for the reason that the wrapper is particularly susceptible to being torn or broken at these regions. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the blistered condition characteristic of the corners of packages wrapped by machinesnow in common use. The wrapper instead of passing tightly around the package is bulged leaving a loose fold embracing but not attached to the 45 corner.

In accordance with my invention asv the wrapped packages pass beyond the discharge conveyors C4, they fall upon the conveyor C5 of smoothing attachment I, preferably driven, as by 50 gears 14, 15 and shaft 16 from the wrapping machine G, at a speed slightly higher than the speed of belts C4.

As each package moves to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, it is aligned on the belt C5 by the guide has pla e .1. 8

plates 17, 18. The narrow belts 05 on either side of the main belt C5 cooperate with the guides 1'7 and 18 in turning into alignment any package which may have fallen to greater or lesser extent on the belt C5. The adjustable stop 19 having a transverse portion 20 extending above the belt at a height slightly greater than the height of the package, holds back any package that may be traveling; in the inclined position indicated by dotted" package P1, 'so' that it will fall on to the belt in back of and in the same plane as the preceding package. to move to the left it passes below and into engagement with the belt C6 driven from shaft 21 of gear 14 through the train of gears, 22,23,

The bar or plate 26 as shown in Figsq5 and 6, carries a plurality of rollsi2l'which bear against the upper surface of the lower lift of the belt C6 to press the packages downwardly against the sim la rol s.. wh q rsl portt u p i of bait Q At ech n theb 26 is p i wi a plate ZQhavihguptvardly extending guide rods 3Q which pass through suitable openings in the xteifidingbetween the side frames 32 9f the machine. The; rollers therefore are in effect resiliently mountedto yield as the packages aretransportedby and between the belts. The lowerset of rollers 2.71am similarly mounted upon a bar 26? supported from the side frames 32.

I Asa package fed to the left by the belts, its le in e d ent st esn c Opening defined by fourpresser blocks 33 each comprising a shoe 3 4 whose receiving end isfiared to facilitate reception of the package. The blocks are adjusted 5. t a he hoe ost cle r ap in 6,define the four corners, of a rectangle closely approximating the outside dimensions of the package P. Breferably before entrance of apacka e these shoes define-arectangle less than the ifift gll flli tli e: of. t e Package, d. as he llwk nQ .hS o s a e moved outwardly a ainst.'there staoc offered bv1- uit lei e .ier t mansion xa ep in s. 5; ers on 7 ber blocksfifi These shoes','a the-package is mpyfid alone br belts C6 iron wn. a y w ai p ll 151 6 QQ QllSX O h P e eednsiheradhs rwr heiv ae is sti ns the wrapper remains attached after the package ,lzaes sh r e' l1;. 9 e.

f complete elimination efl' ltheiblisters is atmn edio .b lefi ete by ne et of Pre s blocks;

it may be necessar-y to. ,use such high pressure that movement ofthe packages by the belts is diificul Aecordirigly therefore, the first set-of presser blocks. 33: is adjusted to have relatively light pressure and the-package after leaving these ks-. se pva e im S t -s milarrr blocks adjusted ,so that the spacing between the blocksis somewhat less, or mother words, so that the pressure exerted at-the corners of the package is somewhat higher, In some cases, it may be des irable to use a thirdset as shown, all depending upon the, nature of the material within the package and its ability to support the walls of the package against pressure. I

As shown most clearly in Fig. 6, each presser block. is capable of movement or adjustment in three directions, The slot 37 in the supporting bracketfiapermits movement of the block toward and ,away fromthecenterof-the belts. The block is; held, in its adjusted position by tightening of the screw 39. Each block maybe-adjusted verticailyto ,accommodate; packages; of different heightpr thickness, by reason of. the slot 40 in As each package continues the bracket 38 through which extends the bolt 41. The slots 42 in the upper and lower frame members 43, 44 permit the blocks to be spaced at greater or lesser distances along the conveyor C5.

The side frames 32 are mounted upon or concentric to the shaft of gear and the driving roll of belt C6. so that by loosening of nuts 50 or equivalent, the structure comprising frame 32. belt C6, bar'26, rolls 2'7, and the upper presser blocks can be swung upwardly to facilitate access to the presser blocks, etc. This movement, which canbe effected by displacement of handle 51, does not effect disengagement of the gears 24, 25.

After passing through my attachment, the packages are tightly wrapped, each wrapper snugly engaging the corners of its box P, as shown by'Fig'. 7.

Packages are often double Wrapped, i. e., it is first Wrapped with craft paper, for example, and thereafterv again passed, through. the same or a similar machine for application: of a. printed or decorative wrapper. As shown by Fig. 4, for this double wrapping the blistering at the corners is more. pronounced. By recourse to my attachment, the blisters can be smoothed or eliminated for the double wrapped package by passing the package through the attachment after each wrapping, or if two wrapping machines are used each should have the ironingattachment.

While I have. illustrated a preferred arrangement, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto but corresponds in scopeto the appended claims.

What I claim is: h 1;, Apparatus comprising: a conveyor for transporting; freshly wrapped packages, and a plurality of 7 independently and resiliently mounted structures each adapted to embrace a sidecorner of the packagefor'smoothing of wrapper blisters during movement of the package by the conveyor -by; engagement with adjoining. side: faces of the package at and adjacent their junction. 2; The combination with amachine for adhesively applyingwrappersto packages and having a discharge conveyor, 'of a; conveyor for receiying: the discharged; packages and operating at higher speed than; said discharge conveyor,

-and;. devices adjacent the path of movement of packages on said'second conveyor for smoothing of the-side corners of the wrappedpackages beforesetting of the adhesive..

3. Thewcombination with. a; machine for adhesively applying; wrappers :to packages and havinga discharge conveyor, of; a conveyor belt for I receiving the discharged packages, a second belt for engaging the upper; surfaces of said packages smoothing;- the sidecorners of said' packages to remove; wrapper blisters. comprising. means for mounting individual of: said elements to permit movement; thereof: normal "to eithen or both; of

the faces engaged thereby, and yielding means resisting said movement.

6. Apparatus comprising a conveyor for transporting freshly wrapped packages, means for smoothing the side corners of said packages to remove wrapper blisters comprising a group of four elements defining the four corners of a rectangular passage somewhat less in height and width than the ends of the packages, and each having surfaces extending parallel to adjacent side faces of the conveyed packages, and means permitting said elements to yield individually as each package is conveyed through said rectangular passage, said surfaces of each of said elements wiping adjoining side faces of the packages at and adjacent their junction.

'7. Apparatus comprising a conveyor for transporting freshly wrapped packages, means for smoothing the side corners of said packages to remove wrapper blisters comprising a group of four elements defining the four corners of a rec-- tangular passage somewhat less in height and width than the ends of the packages, and each having surfaces extending parallel to adjacent side faces of the conveyed packages, means permitting said elements to yield individually as each package is conveyed through said rectangular passage, said surfaces of each of said elements Wiping adjoining side faces of the packages at and adjacent their junction, a second group of elements subsequently engaged by the conveyed packages and defining the four corners of a rectangular passage somewhat less in height and width than said first passage, each of said elements of said second group having surfaces for wiping adjoining side faces of the packages at and adjacent their junction, and means for yieldingly and individually supporting the elements of said second group.

8. Apparatus comprising means for conveying packages comprising a pair of belts for engaging opposite faces of the packages, a movable frame for supporting one of said belts, a group of elements defining the four corners of a rectangular passage between said belts somewhat less in height and width than the ends of the packages and each having surfaces for wiping the adjoining side faces of the package at and adjacent their junction, and means for yieldingly supporting a pair of said elements upon said frame.

9. Apparatus for conveying packages comprising a pair of belts for engaging opposite faces of the packages, a group of elements defining the four corners of a rectangular passage between said belts somewhat less in height and width than the ends of the packages and each having surfaces for wiping the adjoining side faces of the package at and adjacent their junction, driving and driven gears for moving one of said belts, and a frame for supporting said one of said belts and certain of said elements pivotally mounted concentric to the axis of the driven gear.

GEORGE B. FIRST. 

